0
TOP UP
Reading History
Sign out
Get the APPa duke of her own desperate duchesses 6
/1/105410/coverorgin.jpg?v=68bf1b78d60cae51b9e167ecf8a0a734&imageMogr2/format/webp)
One Night With My Billionaire Boss
I woke up on silk sheets that smelled of expensive cedar and cold sandalwood, a world away from my cramped apartment in Brooklyn. Beside me lay Ezra Gardner-my boss, the billionaire CEO of Gardner Holdings, and the man who could end my career with a snap of his fingers. He didn't offer an apology for the night before; instead, he looked at me with terrifying clarity and proposed a cold, calculated business arrangement. "Marriage. It stabilizes the board and solves the PR crisis before it begins." He dressed me in archival Chanel and sent me home in his Maybach, but my life was already falling apart. My boyfriend, Irving, claimed he had passed out early, yet his location data placed him at my best friend's apartment until three in the morning. When I tried to run, I realized Ezra was already ten steps ahead, tracking my movements and uncovering the secret I'd spent twenty years hiding: my connection to the powerful Senator Grimes. I was trapped between a CEO who treated me like a line item on a quarterly report and a boyfriend who had been using me while sleeping with my closest friend. I felt like a pawn in a game I didn't understand, wondering why a man like Ezra would walk up forty flights of stairs on a broken leg just to make sure I was safe. "Showtime, Mrs. Gardner." Standing on the red carpet in a gown that cost more than my life, I watched my cheating ex-boyfriend's face turn pale as Ezra claimed me in front of the world. I wasn't just an assistant anymore; I was a weapon, and it was time to burn their world down."Chanda, can we talk?" Sharon asked, her voice laced with a hint of concern.
"Of course, Mother. What's on your mind?" Chanda replied, setting aside her book.
"I've been thinking... you're 25 now, and I want to see you settled down. You deserve a good life, a loving husband, and children to call your own," Sharon said, her eyes filled with a mix of love and longing.
"Mother, we've been over this. I'm not ready for marriage. My career is just taking off, and I want to make a difference in the world. Can't you understand that?" Chanda asked, her voice firm but gentle.
"I understand your dreams, dear, but life is short. You don't want to miss out on the joys of marriage and family. Trust me, I know what's best for you," Sharon said, her tone soft but persuasive.
"But Mother, that's exactly what I'm trying to do – build a life that's meaningful to me. Can't you support me in that?" Chanda asked, her voice laced with a hint of frustration.
Sharon sighed, her expression a mix of love and worry. "I just want what's best for you, Chanda. But I suppose we can compromise. Find a good man, someone who supports your dreams, and we'll talk about the rest."
Chanda nodded, a small smile on her face. "I can do that, Mother. But promise me one thing – you'll support me, no matter what I choose?"
Sharon smiled, her eyes shining with love. "I promise, dear. I'll always be here for you, no matter what.
Chanda thought she had won a small victory, but little did she know that her mother had already set wheels in motion. The next day, Chanda received a call from her mother, inviting her to dinner.
"Who's coming to dinner, Mother?" Chanda asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Just a few family friends, and someone special I want you to meet," Sharon replied, her voice mysterious.
Chanda's heart sank. She knew her mother's tactics all too well. She arrived at her parents' house, dressed in a elegant black dress, her hair styled perfectly. As she entered the dining room, she saw a handsome man sitting next to her father.
"Chanda, this is Larry, a successful businessman and a family friend," Sharon said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Chanda forced a smile, her mind racing with thoughts. She knew her mother was trying to set her up, but she wasn't interested. As they sat down to dinner, Chanda tried to make small talk with Larry, but her heart wasn't in it.
As the night wore on, Chanda found herself feeling more and more uncomfortable. She excused herself and stepped outside into the garden, taking a deep breath of fresh air.
"Chanda, can I join you?" Larry asked, appearing beside her.
"Sure," Chanda replied, her voice polite but distant.
They stood there in silence for a moment, looking out at the stars. Then Larry spoke up.
"Chanda, I know your mother is trying to play matchmaker, but I want you to know that I'm interested in getting to know you for who you are, not just because of your family connections."
Chanda turned to him, surprised. No one had ever spoken to her like that before. Maybe, just maybe, this night wouldn't be a total waste after.
/0/57723/coverorgin.jpg?v=d0591bd3c8037b350c32f2d33fb964d6&imageMogr2/format/webp)
A life of her own
"With a fierce determination to forge her own path, Chanda embarks on a journey of self-discovery and growth. But the road to independence is fraught with challenges, from her mother's well-meaning but suffocating grasp to the tantalizing promise of a new romance. As she navigates the treacherous la/0/84566/coverorgin.jpg?v=d6dc7a92d21512153cc35bd135530168&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Architect of Her Own Life
My hands methodically folded a sweater, placing it into an open suitcase on the bed, sharp creases betraying the inner turmoil I tried to hide. Outside, New York City glittered, oblivious, my life' s soundtrack of distant sirens and traffic hum now signaling its end. An email confirmed it: one-way/0/84889/coverorgin.jpg?v=80a439fe9d66c36e14c12eedb19d8723&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Her Own Making: A Family
The familiar scent of my Aunt Carol' s pot roast once symbolized family, now it was the smell of my personal hell. My fiancé, Michael, sat beside me, urging me to eat, while my cousin Bethany feigned illness, subtly pressuring me to give up my Star-Tech internship for her. In my first life, I capit/0/50807/coverorgin.jpg?v=ea528fb0f0f6d890a0c2bd5a6f13f63c&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Loving Her Duke
"I will not be your mistress." She spoke, whispering, with her mouth a sigh away from his. He swallowed hard and nodded, agreeing with her even as he closed the distance between them, kissing her to madness, leaving nothing to sanity. Bethany Fitzgerald hated the very idea of marriage and stood aga/0/84123/coverorgin.jpg?v=f428fd6411efe060d13bc423713042d3&imageMogr2/format/webp)
A Genius's Desperate Play
My MIT scholarship was locked, courtesy of a national coding competition. My future was set. But then I overheard a conversation in the high school computer lab, one that shattered my quiet certainty. Jenny, my childhood best friend, and her powerful "Syndicate" gang-the police chief's kid, the ju/0/25788/coverorgin.jpg?v=cf9f92480c606ae0ea38570c8ee19d5d&imageMogr2/format/webp)
A world of our own
Growing up in the most unbearable situation Arielle is set on gaining freedom and acknowledgment from her family and loved ones but as easy as it may sound it's the most complicated to archive, for her life is made up of shackles. Her parents nor her siblings love and appreciate her for the things s/0/84067/coverorgin.jpg?v=baaf0bedb7c4be852374df914fdcf1fe&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Her Own Hell
A phone call from my oldest friend, Wendy, ripped through the quiet of my garage. Her panicked voice claimed ruthless bikers had taken her, demanding I fix their custom bikes for her freedom. Without a second thought, I sped into the Mojave desert to rescue her. But when I arrived, Wendy betrayed/0/83896/coverorgin.jpg?v=bbcb534caccfc28ffbf481c1294706ba&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Designing Her Own Life
For ten years, I was Gabrielle Fuller, successful graphic designer turned dedicated wife, my life orbiting Andrew Scott, my charismatic lawyer husband. Then my father, a well-respected judge and Andrew' s mentor, made a dying wish: "Gabby… promise me… you and Andrew… work it out." Hours later, c/0/83206/coverorgin.jpg?v=89b0aee421c1145d0a91032019fd14ca&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Her Own Kind of Happy Ever After
My lake trip with Ethan, my fiancé and a rising finance star, was supposed to be our last pre-wedding hurrah. I' d meticulously packed for two, my suitcase sitting beside his, ready for our perfect getaway. Then Chloe, the estate manager's daughter my family oddly favored, pulled up with her child/0/83897/coverorgin.jpg?v=7215f5eec55b69b0d7df89e70e7a17da&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Architect of Her Own Ruin
Matthew Scott, my fiancé and business partner, looked at me with that serious expression I used to find charming. He told me our architecture firm, our shared dream, was on the verge of bankruptcy. I didn't hesitate when he asked me to invest every dollar of my life savings – the down payment for/0/84059/coverorgin.jpg?v=034d17b701e4667e4cebbcd9ebcb5b74&imageMogr2/format/webp)
The Architect of Her Own Demise
"Gabrielle? Are you awake?" The whisper cut through the dark, the same saccharine sweetness that had once chilled me to the bone. My eyes snapped open, a breath catching in my throat. I wasn't in the cramped, lonely apartment where I'd taken my own life. I was back in my Boston University dorm, sop/1/109495/coverorgin.jpg?v=44b12cc34f9a97170b7ab7caf4483b1e&imageMogr2/format/webp)
A LADY FOR A DUKE
The Duke was standing in the middle of the room, his hands in his pockets, his head tilted to one side. It was a relaxed, casual pose, and yet the way he looked at her was anything but casual. The deep midnight of his eyes burned and he radiated a subtle, sensual energy that made the air around him/0/21499/coverorgin.jpg?v=c9e4bb9965df65f32871849a0ab28b0d&imageMogr2/format/webp)
BLS #6: Locking Her Heart
BLS #6 Sebastian Cesborn A billionaire that has a really cold heart. He never cares about people's feelings except his friends and his family. He doesn't like to have a relationship because he thinks girls want him just because he has money and fame. Alexis Sierra A tough girl with a rough past,/0/82714/coverorgin.jpg?v=954af5f9a92232678631f44592f82632&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Her Father's Medal, Her Own War
My life was finally looking up. The email glowed on my phone: "Congratulations, Sarah Miller!" – a full scholarship to a top university, my ticket out of our small town and a way to honor my parents' memory. My sister, Emily, who' d been my rock running our family diner, Miller' s Plate, since Mom a/0/58318/coverorgin.jpg?v=826938fa2d6147a359ff89b8580da6c0&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Fake Wife of the Duke
My hands trembled when I heard the opening of the car I was riding. There was a cloth covered in my mouth and I couldn't breathe. "Can you do that?" A man taught me. My companion grabbed me and rubbed my arm and thigh. I want to cry but I hold back. I might be slapped again. "This'll do. Take t/0/20205/coverorgin.jpg?v=daded8d1b344c7ed2cc6f1fefa7807a7&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Caught in her own trap
What could go wrong when you have got a computer geek friend like Trevor who can fix everything? Candice was happy that her stepmother's plan to marry her off to an older rich man had failed. The marriage certificate she produced was proof of her marriage to her secret boyfriend. The husband accor/0/85235/coverorgin.jpg?v=4bd03e523426fa037957bbdcac0ac010&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Betrayal's Sting: Her Own Path
The university library hummed with the quiet hum of panic on the last day for college applications. My finger hovered over the 'Submit' button for Caltech, my dream school, when I heard him. Liam, my best friend since childhood, was laughing with his friends, his voice cutting through the silenc/0/21181/coverorgin.jpg?v=8c536b9ba0663b184311990d7fe7e4af&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Get Out of My Way, Devilish Duke!
When someone needs an enormous amount of money, what can they do to get it? Sell a kidney? (Yeah, that's an appropriate option) However, I became a game tester. All I have to do is to make sure that the MC and ML will reach their happy ending. Sweet! Easy Money! What if the game was harder than I th/0/25200/coverorgin.jpg?v=a87523506187d5216a6b4b8700e64617&imageMogr2/format/webp)
Desperate Housewife
"Tina Grey, the adopted daughter of the Grey Family, is silent, obedient, and conscientious after marrying George Gates, who is the only powerful heir to the Gates Family. Tina knew that their marriage was just a trade that they would never meet again as the contract time is expired, so she did not/0/78604/coverorgin.jpg?v=1718ab5cab03229b02e6ee12ce8ce571&imageMogr2/format/webp)
